Part 1: Discover More About PBL.. Project Based Learning.. At BIE… It’s A Goldmine Of Resources

Welcome to a series 0f posts  regarding PBL (Project Based Learning). I bring you this information because PBL is an effective way to engage students and involve them in their own learning. Definitely a goal for 21st century education!  In researching PBL I begin part one of this series  at the BIE, also known as the BUCK Institute for Education. I know you will find a wealth of resources… many of which are free at this amazing site. Before reading on, please take a moment to subscribe by RSS or email and join over 15,000 visits a month that follow both this blog and my 21centuryedtech Wiki.  Your subscription and comments mean a lot to me and I also encourage you to follow me on twitter at mjgormans and  pass this post on to a friend. Please continue to return as upcoming posts involve future explorations in PBL, student web page evaluation,  STEM, digital curriculum, portable one to one technology, and integrating technology with core standards. But let’s first take a visit to BIE… have a great week! – Mike

In the title of this post it is stated that the not-for-profit  BIE is a goldmine of resources. In fact, I suggest upon entering you may just think you have discovered the mother lode for  PBL!  Simply stated by the people at BIE, ” The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is dedicated to improving 21st Century teaching and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices and knowledge for effective Project Based Learning.” As you explore the website you soon discover how dedicated the people at BIE are at fulfilling this mission.

For those still trying to discover what PBL is all about, visit this wonderful page describing PBL, and its connection to important 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication & critical thinking. Don’t miss an informative research page written to answer many questions you may have. In their amazing PBL library resource center you will have access to 25 research documents in the categories of  Synthesis,  Practices, and Outcomes. Another page lists a series of references accumulated from 40 years of studies explaining why PBL works. Perhaps you will want to explore the nearly 70 short videos  documenting , explaining, and giving an overview of  PBL . While you’re in this area be sure you watch the video entitled  Project Based Learning: Explained. This is a wonderful video created in the Common Craft format explaining PBL in simple and understandable terms.

Perhaps you are a teacher  ready to create a PBL project for classroom use. Make sure you visit a relatively new area entitled PBL Do It Yourself. From here you will be asked to sign up for a free account. Make sure you sign up!  In this area you will discover ideas and lessons that will advance your understanding and help you build your own PBL unit. Included are electronic forms, articles, rubrics, instructional videos, and various other planning tools. There is a place to ask  questions and also  be sure to look over all the available downloads. You may wish to discover PBL units others have made. This is a great place to get ideas and even get started with integrating PBL into your curriculum. I suggest that before beginning even a pre-made unit you  read the information in the PBL Do It Yourself area. This will help you better understand important concepts such as entry event, driving question, need to know, and a project vs. a dessert. Along with these outstanding unit,s be sure to read articles in the blog area furnished by some outstanding contributers.

The areas I have described so far are exceedingly rich but are  absolutely free.  BIE also conducts PBL Professional Development for K-12 educators throughout the United States and internationally. This fee based professional development occurs in a sustained-support model.  Professional development is provided by an outstanding, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable group of  staff and national faculty. You can learn more about these paid services at the BIE Services Page. As you can see, BIE really does have a wealth of information for educators wishing to make Project Based Learning part of their 21st century classroom. Satisfy your need to know as you put your students in the center of learning with PBL

Special Note – Free Webinar: PBL and Elementary Education –  Should you wish to investigate PBL and elementary education, BIE’s new book, PBL in the Elementary Grades, will be available at BIE’s Bookstore on April 5th. You can learn more about this new book by attending a free webinar on Tuesday April 5, 2011. Authors Sara Hallerman and John Larmer will be presenting highlights of PBL in the elementary grades.

Thanks for joining me on this first post in a series of PBL investigations. Please take a moment to subscribe by RSS or email and join over 15,000 visits a month  that follow both this blog and my 21centuryedtech Wiki .  Your subscription and comments mean a lot to me and I also encourage you to follow me on twitter at mjgormans and pass this post on to a friend. Also, remember you can retweet this post below. Remember to return as upcoming posts involve future explorations in PBL, student web page evaluation,  STEM, digital curriculum, portable one to one technology, and integrating technology with core standards. Make sure you put PBL and the BIE on your project list…have a great week and enjoy the journey into the 21st century of learning! – Mike